


A Few Weeks Later ...

by Elle_dubs (avril_o)



Series: Blasted Blaviken [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Filk adjacent, Gen, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Post-Episode: S01E06 Rare Species, Requited Unrequited Love, Roach Ships It (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26650975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avril_o/pseuds/Elle_dubs
Summary: Geralt walks into a town with Roach after Jaskier has left. Even in his absence, however, Geralt can almost hear his presence.It's driving him crazy.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Blasted Blaviken [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939090
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	A Few Weeks Later ...

**Author's Note:**

> This is the (not) long-awaited follow-up to the (in my mind) smash single, Blaviken. Please go and listen to it. I do plan to turn this into a podfic because I imagine the soundscaping will be amazingly fun, but until I do, if you don't listen to the filk, you won't have any reference for "that rhythm" or the tune being hummed/whistled/sang loudly and off-key.

Geralt dismounted from Roach and led her into town. At first glance, it seemed a fairly normal early morning; the baker placing loaves of bread in the oven, the innkeep beating out the dark brown rugs off the back steps, the children yelling in sing-song voices, skipping to the well and then dragging, grumbling, full buckets away from the well. He relaxed for a moment and started towards the innkeep. He could leave Roach in the stables, check the boards, see the mar --

Blast it. As he drew closer to the innkeep, Geralt realized that she was beating the rug in a rhythm. A very specific, now very /familiar/, rhythm. It could be a coincidence, but it probably wasn't. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the children, who were now forming a ragtag group of ... performing bards, it appeared. This was never good. He sighed, disgruntled, and shoved a hand into his pocket. Without looking, he pulled out the paper that was in it and pushed it in front of the innkeep's face, snarling, "Have you seen him?"

She pursed her lips and stopped beating the rug, glancing between Geralt and the paper. "Oh yes, he was a lovely man," she allowed, a small smile hiding on the edge of her lips. "Brought in a lot of patrons, sold a lot of ale... kissed a few girls." She raised her wrinkled brow and leaned in. "Kissed a few men too, I'd wager, once the ale properly set in," she said.

Geralt grunted. "He still here?"

"Oh no," she laughed, shaking her head, white curls dancing. Geralt could hear the children chanting. One mop-headed girl had taken up the rhythm on a pair of upturned buckets, while the others were clapping along. "He's been gone almost a week now. But I'm sure you know where he's headed." Her blue eyes twinkled. "You might want to hurry up or you won't catch him."

"Hmm. I'm on the Path. He'll have to wait."

"We don't want your help here, Witcher. Our job for you is down that road. You need to make it up to him, or leave him be." The innkeep curled her lip at him and squared up, looking at him like he was a child. It had been a while. "Leave. Him. Be. He deserves far better."

Geralt grunted and turned away.

"He was right! You do need a nap!" the innkeep called out to him.

His shoulders stiffened but he refused to turn back around in response. The children started cheering "You need a nap you need a nap!" Across the street the blacksmith was hammering the iron in the same blasted tempo. Ladies walking down the street were humming the tune. It was unbearable. It was worse than the Coin song.

He led Roach around the small town square, stopping at the well. "Yes Roach, he was here. We're gaining on him," he told her as he poured some water and some feed from a sack.

Roach huffed.

"Well, this is my life. My life is the Path. He's better off gone, for his sake."

Roach slurped water consideringly.

Geralt scratched behind her ears, rubbing the spot he knew always itched. Her tail twitched. "I know it's Blaviken! No one's better off in Blaviken! But he'll leave eventually, and I could just ... leave him alone."

Roach gave him a flat stare, then pushed at him with her nose.

He felt at his pockets and sighed. "No, I don't have any apples on me, Roach."

She swung her head away pointedly. He followed her gaze down the road to the market stalls and took a deep breath.

"All right. We can go buy some apples," he told her, then paused in thought. "Hmmm."

He stalked back to the innkeep, who was now rather loudly (and absolutely off-key) singing the Song. "Excuse me."

The innkeep looked at him serenely and stopped singing. "Yes?" she demanded. People were never this calm and disrespectful around him before Jaskier came around, he thought.

"Do you ... know what I could buy him, to help make it up?" he asked, quietly.

She clapped her hands together. "Well, I would normally advise flowers but unless you and your horse fly you won't meet him until they're wilted and dead." She left her rug hanging over the rail and looped an arm through his, leading him to the market. "Maybe the silversmith has a nice pin you could gift to him, to affix to his collar. He did seem the type to like that sort of thing," she nattered on, and he obligingly escorted her to the market. He and Roach didn't fly, but they could travel a lot faster than Jaskier did. He could catch him before Blaviken, and maybe ... give him a ride. On his horse.

**Author's Note:**

> More author's notes! Well, let me just credit Mal Blum for the amazing song that they wrote, that I unashamedly filk'ed off of. As I was writing the filk, I was imagining Geralt walking into a town the day after Jaskier had performed the song, and seeing all these hungover villagers, and they were ALL singing snippets of Blaviken. It morphed into this, and I'm pleased with it. Hope you enjoy it.


End file.
